1. The Dallas Stars and Vancouver Canucks meet for their third game of the season on Thursday night. Dallas leads the season series with a 2-0-0 record and are looking to win three-in-a-row against them for the first time since 2006 when they defeated the Canucks for four-straight games.

2. In the first two games of last year’s season series between the Canucks and the Stars, Vancouver scored on 6-of-12 of their power plays against Dallas. Through the first two games of the season series this year, the Stars have limited the Canucks to just five power plays and have not allowed them to score on one of them.

3. At 12-3-0, the Dallas Stars have the Western Conference’s best record against teams from the Northwest Division (.800 PTS %). They have outscored the Northwest 45-30 in those 15 games. Last season, the Stars earned an 8-9-3 record against Northwest Division opponents.

4. The Stars have a 9-1-1 record against Canadian-based teams this season. Their only losses have been against the Winnipeg Jets (2-5 L) and the Toronto Maple Leafs (3-4 SOL).

5. The Stars earned their 40th win of the season on Tuesday night, becoming the 11th team to do so in 2011-12. Since moving to Texas, the Stars have earned 40-win seasons 13 times. Additionally, Glen Gulutzan became the third coach in franchise history to earn a 40-win season in his first full NHL campaign behind the bench (Hitchcock, Tippett others).

WHO TO WATCH:MICHAEL RYDERhas scored 32 goals this season. In scoring 32, Ryder became just the second player in Dallas Stars history to earn over 30 goals in his first season with the team and the seventh overall in franchise history. Brett Hull scored 32 goals in 1998, his first season with Dallas.

MIKE RIBEIROhas earned five points in the two games against the Canucks this season (3-2-5) and has a three-game point streak against them (3-3-6).

LOUI ERIKSSONhas scored a point in four consecutive games against the Canucks (3-3-6) and has earned 11 points in his last 10 games against them overall (5-6-11).